Quote:
Originally Posted by Kaywrote
I have been able to find a lot of the books I own online (mostly pdf files or epub), and I'd much rather not re-buy books I already own (again, broke college student syndrome kicking in).
I've heard that with the Kindle (the one that others in my family have) that's not possible, and from my research the Nook didn't sound doable either.
Battery life is fairly important, but I mostly read at home or close enough to a wall or computer to charge.
The easier to read in sunlight, the better.
I'd really like to be able to buy from multiple markets, but that's not required as long as I have access to at least one market with a fairly widespread selection.
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For starters, you are *correctly* focusing on the books, first and foremost.
eBook readers exist to offer access to ebooks, not to dazzle with a fancy specsheet.
On your questions, in order:
If the books you've "found" online are DRM free they can be read on *any* ebook reader.
The pdf files can load into every reader claiming the name. Just bear in mind that pdf is *NOT* an ebook format, but rather a digital paper format (think: digital microfiche) and does not offer a particularly great experience on any ebook reader. The experience will range from tolerable to awful on any PDF that is not 99% text. (The ones that *are* mostly text can be converted with free tools to decent HTML and from there into a proper ebook format like mobi or epub.)
ePubs can be, similarly, natively read into every ebook worthy of the name except Kindle (which, for good competitive reasons, avoids using it). However, DRM-free epubs can be easily and smoothly *converted* (with free software) into Kindle-compatible ebooks. So as long as you are not carrying a load of DRM-encumbered ebooks you are not barred from using *any* currently available reader. (And if you are, the current ePub DRM shackes are easily removed. Just run a web search for DeDRM and you'll eventually find the tools.) So, yes, you *can* use a Kindle or Nook or anything that meets your needs.
The battery life and sunlight-readability are tied together. If sunlight-reading is a must you are excluding pretty much every single color LCD-based reader/webpad/tablet and pretty much specifying eink as your display technology, which automatically solves your battery life issues. Even the worst-performing reader, when used with full-time wireless enabled, will still give about a week between charges. With wireless disabled/absent you'll be looking at 3-4 weeks between charges in typical use.
If you forgo outdoors readability for color and/or multi-purpose functionality, you'll be looking at battery life in the 4-7 hour range for reading.
(There *are* some pretty good readers that use B&W reflective LCD technology and are outdoors readable while delivery on the order of 20 hours of use. But in general, B&W readers use eink tech and delivers weeks of battery life.)
Buying from multiple markets is more problematic.
The more prominent commercial ebookstores sell mostly DRM-encrusted ebooks at the behest of the publishers which in effect forces you to choose from one of four camps. Kindle. Nook. Apple. And generic Adobe ADEPT DRM.
Outside the US, ADEPT is most common. Nook is currently US only. Kindle is available pretty much worldwide (100+ countries) and Apple is still ramping up, even in the US.
Complicating things is that ebookstores are not legally allowed to sell all books in all markets. With one exception, what ebooks an ebookstore offers up will depend on your physical location at the time of purchase. There are tricks to circumvent these geographical licensing restrictions but they don't always work. This will likely impact you as you are planning to travel outside the US.
The exception I mentioned? Kindle.
Because of its wireless support network and because Kindle is PC-independent, Amazon determines which ebooks you can buy based, not on your location at the time of purchase, but rather on your location when you bought the Kindle and on the billing address of your credit card of record. This is to accomodate travellers so *AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT MOVING PERMANENTLY* Kindle will allow you access to its US ebookstore everywhere. Things will be different for permanent residents in other countries but as long as the publishers restrain sales of ebooks by location, Amazon will have this advantage over its competitors.
For you what this means is that you need to make sure you will have a reliable source of ebooks *you want* locally wherever you relocate *before* choosing a non-Kindle reader. If you are going to rely on ebooks you "find" online this won't be an issue but if you're looking for commercial ebooks and you are looking to travel extensively geo-restrictions *will* be an issue.
ADEPT-based eReaders (Pocketbook, Sony, Onyx, Bookeen, etc) *will* accept ebooks from the various regional ebookstores but what you will have available will depend on your physical location because the seller will have no other way to determine which books they are legally allowed to sell you. And note that geo-restrictions exist even on DRM-free content.
So, until you have a strategy to deal with geo restrictions be very careful when buying non-Kindle readers. Which isn't to say Kindle is the only way to go. There are plenty of excellent non-kindle readers out there. Many are worth buying. Just that for US-natives *abroad* Kindle offers a simpler buying experience.
Focus first on what kind of content you intend to buy and where you expect to buy it from. Then you can start looking at compatible readers to see which feature set and price suits *your* needs.
That said: Given your situation as defined and the ebook market that exists today, you are looking at a Kindle reader as your most likely option. If you want something else, you'll have to redefine your needs/expectations.
Good luck!
PS Whatever path you take, look up Calibre Ebook management software and Mobipocket Creator. You'll find them useful with any reader you choose.